A delegation from the Engcobo Community in the Eastern Cape is disgruntled after travelling all the way from their homes to the Union Buildings in Tshwane only to be ignored; thus being unable to fulfill their mission.
According to one member of the Engcobo Community delegation Gcobani Nkwele, their mission at the Union Buildings was to literally fetch a delegation from the office of President Cyril Ramaphosa to go down to the Eastern Cape with them to address their concerns regarding their Dr AB Xuma Local Municipality.
“We want our Municipality to be placed under national administration by the government because we believe there is a lot of corruption going on there, and when the national administrator eventually takes over, a forensic audit company must be employed to look into the Municipality’s books starting from the day they took office some five years ago or so,” he said.
The Engcobo Community delegation arrived at the Union Buildings on 21 July after travelling overnight from the Eastern Cape and have been sleeping at a park that is situated next to the Union Buildings.
“Upon our arrival we were sleeping inside our vans right inside the precinct of the Union Buildings, but two days later we were asked to leave the precinct of the Union Buildings because there was going to be an event hosted by Talk Radio 702 there, that’s why even now we are sleeping in the park,” explained Nkwele.
“Our AB Xuma Local Municipality, like all the other municipalities in South Africa, is a honey jar for people who want to make a quick buck and besides corruption in the AB Xuma Local Municipality, there is also fraud, nepotism, mismanagement and maladministration, and we are thought we won’t let this rot to continue but that we must do something about it,” enthused Nkwele.
He pointed out that they first submitted a memorandum of grievances to the AB Xuma Local Municipality regarding the shenanigans going on there, but their demands were ignored.
They then complained to Eastern Cape Province Premier Oscar Mabuyane about the selfsame shenanigans but their complaints fell on deaf ears.
They then submitted their grievances to the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) in the Eastern Cape and never got a response and eventually they approached COGTA at national level.
“COGTA national did receive our memorandum but the problem arose when they suggested that we travel 200 kilometers from Engcobo to East London to discuss issues which are pertinent to our community and we felt this suggestion was out of order, and made it clear that COGTA must come down to Engcobo which is where our plight lies, and as result COGTA national lost interest in our plight as they were not willing to come down to Engcobo,” he said.
The delegation is made up of 22 members of the community and two drivers.
“Manager in the office of the President Vincent Ngcobondwana flatly refused to come and meet us and when he was told about our presence in a telephone conversation at the Union Buildings we overheard him on the phone saying that we are a nuisance and troublesome,” he said.
Nkwele lambasted Eastern Cape Province Premier Oscar Mabuyane for failing them; describing him as a person who stands for nothing except shiny suits and blue lights.
However, the delegation managed to lodge a complaint with the Public Protector’s office in Tshwane and submitted overwhelming evidence regarding the malfeasance that reigns supreme in the AB Xuma Local Municipality.
The delegation slept inside tents and they survived on donations from various individuals, organisations and political parties.
They will be going back home to the Eastern Cape on 7 August but though they were given a cold shoulder at the Union Buildings, they opine that they have made their point because their plight is now known nationwide.
Another member of the delegation Zikhona Sikhukazi told Tshwane Talks that they came to Tshwane because their demands and concerns have so far been ignored in the Eastern Cape.
“There is nothing right going on in the AB Xuma Local Municipality and small businesses are not given the support that they need and business opportunities are given to friends and relatives Municipal officials,” she said.
“We have tried knocking on all doors of the government to get help regarding our plight but our efforts have proved to be futile, that is why we came all the way here at the Union Buildings because the situation is very bad in our Municipality as there are no jobs, schools are dilapidated and the project to build a bridge in our area has been stopped,” said yet another member of the delegation Zandile Dlodlo.
“We are here to complain about rampant corruption and nepotism in our Municipality as well as lack of service delivery regarding issues like roads, stadiums and we came to see Ramaphosa himself so that he can come and see what we are going through in Engcobo and I am saying those who are involved in corruption in Engcobo are not Christians and they must go to jail,” lamented an elderly member of the delegation Vhakutshiwo Gigi.
Abathembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo also came to show his support for the Engcobo Community delegation at the Union Buildings.
Copy of a Memorandum of demand: